Termite Costs, Bonds and Contracts
The price on a termite quote is only half the story. The contract, the warranty and the yearly renewal decide what you really pay.
Where the money goes
Treatment price depends on the size of your foundation, what's in the way, the method and the termite. The ranges, and how to compare quotes fairly, are in how termite treatment prices work.
Then comes the contract. Most treatments come with a renewable warranty, often called a termite bond, and the difference between one that covers repairs and one that only covers retreatment can be worth thousands of dollars. Before you sign anything, read how to choose a termite company.
Guides in this section
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Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Termite Damage?
Most homeowners find out the hard way: the insurance policy that covers a fallen tree doesn't cover the termites that hollowed it out of th…
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Is Termite Damage Tax Deductible?
A $15,000 termite repair feels like exactly the kind of disaster the tax code should help with. It doesn't. The IRS has a specific reason, …
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Questions to Ask a Termite Company Before You Sign
Most people ask a termite company one question: how much? These fifteen get you a better answer to that one, and they tell you within a few…
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Repair vs Retreatment Termite Warranties
Two termite warranties can cost $100 a year apart and look nearly identical until termites come back. Then one sends a technician with a sp…
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Termite Contract Red Flags
A termite contract can look like a page of boilerplate. It isn't. Several Southern states have written rules about what these contracts mus…
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Termite Damage Repair Cost
Treating termites is a known, bounded cost. Fixing what they ate isn't, because it depends entirely on which wood they found. A chewed wind…
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Termite Treatment Cost: How Prices Really Work
Two quotes for the same house can be $1,500 apart and both be honest. Here's what you're actually paying for, method by method, and how to …
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Termites in a Rental: Who's Responsible?
Termites eat the building, and the building belongs to the landlord, so in most cases the landlord is the one who deals with them. The deta…
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Transferring a Termite Bond When You Sell
A current, transferable termite bond can be one of the most useful things a seller hands over at closing, and one of the easiest to lose by…
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Who Pays for the Termite Inspection, Buyer or Seller?
Ask five agents in five states who pays for the termite inspection and you may get five answers. That's because no law settles it nationall…
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How to Choose a Termite Company Without Getting Burned
The best termite company is rarely the one that knocks first or talks fastest. It's the one whose written proposal still makes sense when y…
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Termite Bait System Cost
A bait system has two prices: the one to put the stations in the ground, and the one you pay every year to keep someone checking them. The …
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Termite Tenting Cost
Tenting a house for drywood termites usually costs a few thousand dollars, and the quote is only part of it. Here's what national price gui…
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What Is a Termite Bond, and Is It Worth It?
A termite bond sounds like insurance. It isn't. It's a yearly service contract with a promise attached, and the value of that promise depen…
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to treat a house for termites?
Most whole-house treatments fall roughly between $1,000 and $3,000, depending on the method, the size of the foundation and how hard it is to reach. Small spot treatments cost less, and many contracts add a yearly renewal fee.
Does homeowners insurance pay for termite damage?
Usually not. Standard policies generally treat termite damage as a maintenance issue. A termite warranty that covers repairs is the closest thing to insurance for termites.